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You use the middle finger if you have to show the finger right?? That is finger to show abuse. Not a good finger to abuse. Imagine if some asks to show your wedding ring and you have to show him/her the finger.

Sorry for being crass.... Pinky is the last one in the hand. Index finger is a symbol of ego. Middle finger is a sign of utility. It is only the fourth finger that does not have any purpose and hence add the ring there. Wedding does not serve any purpose though, right??

But I don't think the exchnge ofwearing ring is western practice. The first allusion is found in the Sanskrit drama of Kalidasa (the earliest claasic poet), the AbhijnanaShakunthala, where the heo presents a ring with his name inscribed to the heroine as the token of his love and made a promise to call her to his palace by the time she finishes reading the letters of his name each letter a day (i.e. within three days) which could not be kept (which prolongs their joining to gether). This is the first reference in the earliest Indian literature to the wedding ring.(???). Theirs was called gandharva marriage or the love marriage (if it can be called).

So far as I know, wearing a wedding ring is not a christian custom either. Its nothing to do with religion. Just a western cultural aspect, actually.

v-

Hi, Just read my post above. In relation to wedding or tradition, what do u guys think of the reference in Kalidasa's Abhijnana Shakuntala, in which the whole theme is built around the ring given by the hero to the heroin
e?

The rings are represented by Kalidasa variously.
The anguliyaka of various designs decorated the fingers. Besides gold,
which was mostly used for ornaments, diamonds and other gems were also em-
ployed for making rings. Several rings bore the design of a serpent, while
others were imprinted with the names of their owners. Sometimes a ring was
used as a pass-word of authority.

More inventory of ring to the references by Kalidasa is found in the following article:

Of course, in Sundarakanda of Ramayana, we know the episode of giving his Ring to Hanuman, for identifying hm as the messenger sent by Rama for Sita in case she is found. This testifies Rama was wearing a ring, which in fact, may be the authoritative seal or symbol of a king and not necessarily a wedding ring. But this ring sanctified by sage YaagynavalkyA played a key role in the praNaya Kalaham between Lord RaamachandrA and Seetha that
was known only to them . This may be indicative of the wedding ring.

The finger ring or anguliyaka is visible on some of the Satavahana sculptures but only after A.D.150.

And, in Thirumala, Sri Venkatesha is described as wearing the celestial rings on his fingers in the abode of Vaikuntha in some sthothra.

According to Smriti texts or Codes of Religious conducts in India, the golden ring or its representative a ring made of darbha grass is to be worn for peforming any religious act to purify the finger. According to the Purana-s, it is with this ring, that Shiva plucked out one of the five heads of Brahma, the creator after which he became four headd and due to this this finger is adjoined with Brahmahatya sin. Hence it is unworth to be named and hence called anamika or without a name. It is to purify this finger and through it the whole body by wearing the ring that rings are worn during the performnce of religious acts. Any religious rite performed without wearing the ring, is null and void and needs to be repeated, according to the Smriti precriptions.

Does this all represent the part played in the Hindu cultural tradion or the rreligious ceremony Gandharva Vivaha (in the case of kalidasa-s play), which is one of the eight types of marriages or is it influenced by the western cultural aspect? Pls. answer straight forward. Of course, in a way its answered by Vasan as age worn Indian tradition.